Any relaxation exercise can help learn a new behaviour. Use your favourite technique regularly when changing a habit. Which technique is used is not as important as how it is carried out.

Techniques include:-

Simple relaxation drills

Progressive muscular relaxation

Autogenic training

Self-hypnosis

Mindfulness Meditation

Yoga

All are safe, can be done on one's own, and involve:-

A sense of purpose

Regular practice

A set routine

A reduction in anxiety and tension

Each have Social, Physical and Mental aspects:-

Social e.g.

Initial practice alone, or with others

Set, regular times of practice

Once learnt, can be used anywhere, whenever needed

Physical e.g.

Awareness of body sensations

Particular body position

Gentle regular breathing

Mental e.g.

A beginning, middle and an end

A focus on particular feelings and thoughts

A rehearsal of relevant notions and mantras

With behaviour modification, as in habit reversal, once an old undesirable behaviour has been understood and the new desirable behaviour has been defined, regular practice of a relaxation exercise will help the change over from one to the other. Whichever relaxation technique is used, once calm, relaxed and centered, the trick is then to introduce a mental dress rehearsal of the new way of doing things. Positive ideas practised when calm and relaxed are more likely to develop into convictions, the attitudes and beliefs that help determine our behaviour.

It is possible to encourage a desired change in habitual behaviour by adding a relaxation technique to habit reversal.